Men's Second Style

I love New Year’s Eve.  In some ways, it reminds me of my senior prom.  It’s an opportunity to get all glammed up, go out to a fabulous party, and play for an evening at being grown-up, or maybe at being rich.  Or both.

And a great beauty of SL is that you don’t have to be rich to play at being rich.  For the equivalent of the cost of a mocha latte or two, you can outfit your SL self in stunning style, with attire and accessories that would be the envy of even the hottest flavor-of-the-moment supermodel.  Not that supermodels care all that much, anyway; wearing beautiful clothing is just a job to them.

It’s become something of an annual tradition for me to feature formalwear from Styles of edo.  I guess that shouldn’t be too surprising—edo Tone’s formals are among the best I’ve seen, and they’re always some of my favorites.  I’ve chosen a few designs from his 2009 collection that I think are especially noteworthy.  Hopefully you’ll think so, too. Read the rest of this entry »

I guess I’m getting a little ahead of myself here.  I have some beautiful formalwear to show you—possibilities for a highly dramatic New Year’s Eve party—but I thought that first I’d go directly to the after-party.  Do not pass Go, do not collect L$200.  Now, it’s understandable if you feel that the main event deserves most of your sartorial time, attention and budget.  But don’t make the mistake of thinking that what you wear to the after-party somehow matters less.  In its own way, it’s just as important.  You’re still making an impression, after all!  You can’t just throw on khakis and a polo and let it go at that.  (Jeans and a t-shirt can work, though…if they’re the right jeans and the right t-shirt.)  No, you still need to put some time, effort and attention into your after-party attire.  Don’t worry, though.  I’m here to help. Read the rest of this entry »

He’s making a list, checking it twice
Gonna find out who’s naughty and nice
Santa Claus is coming to town!

You’ve almost certainly heard the Christmas song “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.”  If you’re of a certain age, you probably remember well from the childhood the old Rankin-Bass holiday TV special of the same name.  What’s important here is Santa’s role as judge, jury and (metaphorical) executioner, at least as far as Christmas gifts are concerned.  Who wants a lump of coal in his stocking?

You do remember that key section of the lyrics, don’t you?  It actually sounds kind of scary, when you think about it.  I mean, what, Santa knows everything?  All the stuff I’ve done this year?  Even that one thing?  I only did that once, I swear.  Okay, two or three times.  But still, what happened to my right to privacy?  I still deserve presents, don’t I?  I’m a good boy, I am! Read the rest of this entry »

Wow, where does the time go?  More importantly, where does it come from?  By which I mean, where can I get more?

As you can see, I haven’t been around all that much lately.  Believe me, it’s not for lack of wanting.  RL (work in particular, as I may have mentioned) has been kinda crazy, and of course it’s the holiday season, and there’s only so much time to go around…never quite enough, it seems.  I do have some good stuff I want to share with you, though–some coats and scarves, festive party attire, stuff like that–and I’m hoping to get in at least a small handful of posts between now and the end of the year.  They may be short and sweet, but hopefully you’ll still find something worth shopping for. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m pretty sure I’ve said before, probably more than once, that I could dress myself every day only and entirely in clothing by risey Arai and be happy.  I suppose boredom could be an issue, eventually, in a really long time, but actually that’s difficult for me to imagine.  risey’s designs are so consistently interesting, not to mention impeccably executed, that it’s hard not to get lost in admiring details of fabric texture and prim construction.  Sometimes I forget that I’m getting dressed for a reason, and friends wonder where I’ve been.  Admiring myself in the virtual mirror, that’s where.  It’s not my fault, though!  Blame risey.  I do. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m fortunate to live within easy driving distance (although, alas, not stumbling distance) of Tiki-Ti, one of the best of the handful of remaining classic Tiki bars in the U.S.  (Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge in Alameda, CA is by all accounts a great place, and the newly opened Smuggler’s Cove in San Francisco looks like it’ll be well worth a visit.)  I’ve tried working my way through the menu at Tiki-Ti—not all in one night!—but I keep forgetting where I left off and having to start over.  Dark and Stormy!  Space Pilot!  Ray’s Mistake!  Ooga Booga!

No matter how you look at it, there’s a lot of rum going on.  A boatload, even. Read the rest of this entry »

Wow, um, sorry about that post title.  Apparently I’m pathologically unable to resist a pun, even a fairly obvious one.  I’m also such a sucker for sweet fabric textures, I can’t even tell you.  Maybe this is why I find Wicked Loudon’s new menswear designs so appealing.  After all, one could argue that, on the surface, they’re not necessarily breaking much new ground from a design perspective.  Sweater vest with shirt?  T-shirt?  Jeans?  Ho-hum, I hear you saying…some of you, anyway, and you know who you are.  But surely there’s room enough in the world for designers to put their own spin on familiar items, and hopefully, just maybe, bring something to them that’s fresh?  I like to think so.  Because here’s the thing: a good designer can take a familiar design and bring freshness to it, even if it’s “only” the designer’s own unique stylistic tweaks.  I don’t know about you, but in RL I have more than one pair of jeans.  Let’s not even talk about shoes.  And am I a whore for a beautiful sweater?  You bet your ass I am. Read the rest of this entry »